The use of animal attractant scents by hunters to increase their chances of hunting success is well known. In particular, these scents can be used in ways that take advantage of the mating processes of certain species. For example, in the case of white-tail deer, it is known that the buck will prepare a “scrape” to attract a doe. The scrape is prepared by the buck as he scrapes the ground with his hooves at a particular spot and deposits some urine thereon. This action can serve to attract a doe, who may then periodically deposit scent, including urine, on the scrape, which may at times indicate her receptiveness for mating. In addition, other bucks also may visit the scrape, for territorial or other reasons. The buck will, in this manner, be alerted to the presence of the doe and/or other bucks and will tend to spend more time in the location of his scrape. This increase in time spent in a particular area makes him easier to hunt. Thus, hunters will prepare an artificial, or mock, scrape or locate a natural scrape, in attempts to attract a deer. This is done by finding a scrape, or preparing a mock scrape by scraping the ground in a manner similar to that of a buck, and then depositing a commercially available scent thereon, which may signal to the buck the presence of a doe in the correct stage of her estrous cycle. Mock scrapes are commonly prepared by hunters to imitate natural scrapes and achieve the same purpose.
Examples of commercially available scents, that may be sold with or without a device for dispensing the scents, may include but are not limited to, doe urine, doe estrous secretions, and buck urine. The commercially available scents may also be artificial, man-made, or made with other natural ingredients.
Devices for depositing such scents are known, and generally consist of a bottle or other container for holding the scent and a valve for regulating the rate that the scent drips therefrom onto the scrape. Such devices are typically suspended from a branch above the scrape and provide for a continuous release of the scent. However, such a continuous flow is not generally desirable and may be disadvantageous, as attractant scents are relatively expensive, and release is not necessary during the night or during periods of rain when the scent can be washed away. Generally, it may be better to dispense a scent only during the daytime hours. This may make it likely the animal will visit the location of the dispenser during daytime hours. In some cases, such as during rut, bucks may visit locations both during the night and day hours. A dispenser that conditions the buck to come around during the daytime hours may help change the buck's pattern. Continual manual opening and closing of the valve, as would be done with the prior art devices, is not a good solution to this problem as scent deposition can take place over a number of days and would therefore be tedious. Similarly, continual opening and closing of the valve is not desirable due to the greater possibility of leaving unwanted human odors around the scrape. Also, the valves of these devices, when set to provide for a very low flow rate, can become blocked and completely stop the flow of scent.
Yet other scent dispensing devices, such as those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,220,741, 5,279,062, and 5,361,527, take advantage of the relative change in temperature that generally occurs between day and night. A liquid scent, in one embodiment, fills a reservoir. As temperature increases to a great enough level, the volume of liquid scent in the reservoir rises high enough to reach an opening at the top of the reservoir, where the liquid scent drips from the dispensing device. In another described embodiment, the reservoir is a tube formed into a loop whereby it extends through an arc of 360 degrees. As such, the temperature must increase to a level wherein the liquid scent will be forced through the arc and drip out an opening at the end of the reservoir tube.
There is a need in the art for apparatuses and methods for a liquid scent dispenser which overcomes the deficiencies and limitations of the prior art. Particularly, there is a need in the art for apparatuses and methods for a temperature regulated, pressure activated scent dispenser that may release a portion of a liquid scent once a threshold pressure is reached in the interior or the dispenser due to a change in temperature of the air within the dispenser that is more efficient and does not include the limitations of the prior art. There is a further need in the art for apparatuses and methods for a temperature regulated, pressure activated scent dispenser that may release a portion of a liquid scent after a threshold build-up of pressure is reached in the interior or the dispenser due to a change in temperature of the air within the dispenser.